


I Talk to the Rain

by kilala2tail, Lightning515, WaiiKitsune



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crack, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2018-04-06 01:59:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4203654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kilala2tail/pseuds/kilala2tail, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning515/pseuds/Lightning515, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaiiKitsune/pseuds/WaiiKitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storms and elements, friendship and loneliness, laughter and tears, and everything between.</p><p>-a Persona drabble and short story collection-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The boy who talks to the rain

**Author's Note:**

> Hihi everyone! How nice of you to join us.  
> I (kilala) will be your host for this first in a set of drabbles, known to us as "Persona Outtakes; even heroes have some fun".  
> I don't have much to say except that these are random snippets done by us three rather random people, and any and all kudos, comments, and bookmarks are seen and adored. If you wanna subscribe, I hope we manage to please.  
> And feel free to tell us what you like, what you dislike, whatever! Words help a person grow, ya know!  
> Anyway, I'll stop wasting space now. Onto the fic!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes, he talks to the rain."

Sometimes, when he is feeling low and just needs to speak, he talks to the rain.

It was a habit that started as a child, lonely and small and in want of a listener. It had been a rough day at school, kids picking on him for something silly and small, teachers scolding him for not paying attention though he was trying to understand what was being taught, lunch forgotten at home on the counter. His dad, the local Junes store’s GM, was at work when class finally let out for the day. His mother, a nurse at the hospital the town over, was on call and dropped him off at home with a quick kiss and an apology. _It’s okay, Momma, I’ll be fine_ , he insisted, knowing how short-staffed the place could be. _I’m already nine, I can stay home by myself for a while!_

It had been a bad day, and they both knew it from the look on the child’s face when she picked him up, but his mother was still new and couldn’t really afford to call off. He waved her off from the front door as the rain started to fall, smile firmly in place until she was long out of sight. Then, with a sigh soft as fluttering wings, he walked inside and up to his room.

Rain fell, soft and calming at first but changing into a storm within a few minutes. There was a part of him that flinched at every lightning strike, and _stop being so stupid, you’re inside it can’t hurt you, what would the kids at school say_.

Another part, though, wondered what it was like, out in the raging weather. It was like the sky was just letting it’s emotions run wild, anger in every boom of thunder, hurt in every flash of lightning, sadness in how hard and fast the water rushed the ground. Brown eyes followed slower moving droplets tracing patterns on the window pane, the sudden need to feel the wind rushing through his body as a branch from the tree in the yard knocked where his eyes were drawn.

Rushing downstairs, the child unlocked the back door and yanked it open. A torrent of water and air surrounded him in an instant as he ran outside to stand in the grass. A strike of lightning, closely followed by the sound of thunder, filled the sky and even as he flinched he couldn’t help but feel relieved as the water soaked him and the wind soothed.

A tiny, but real, smile crossed the boy’s face as he walked to lean against the tree. _So you’re upset, too,_ he said to the dark clouds above. _That sucks. At least you don’t have to go to school. The people there… They don’t_ get _me. And I know Momma and Dad love me, but… They’re almost never home. I know I can’t blame them, but sometimes it would be nice to have them both here. Not to mention…_

Words came unbidden as he closed his eyes and felt the cool air whip around him. All his thoughts, his loneliness and hurt and boredom, came pouring out as the storm kept on. The hiss of water, the rustle of leaves in the wind, the crashes of sound, all felt like reassurance that something, somewhere, did care what he had to say and was there for him. By the time it was over, he felt tired and cold, but much better than when he had gotten home.

 _Thanks for listening,_ he whispered to whatever beings may have been there. _I hope you don’t mind if I talk to you again sometime._

It was a habit that had started after a bad day of school and had never truly gone away. After catching an illness and being trapped in bed for a week, the child was more careful about how long he stayed in the rain. And as he grew into a teenager, moved to a new place and made friends and learned why he was always nervous around lightning but so at home with the wind, he stopped going into the rain all together. But he never stopped sharing his stories with the storms.

And if the storm now took the form of a gray eyed boy, whose eyes flashed like the lightning he could wield and whose hair was the color of the clouds that held the rain, well. It was nice to feel the reassurance the rain had always given him in a warmer embrace.

So, sometimes he talks to the rain. And now, the rain speaks back with words to chase away the chill.


	2. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was a difference between the SEES and the Investigation Team.

They had only met two hours ago.

“Team Gekko” and “Team Yaso”, as they’d named themselves.

After the huge amount of information, courtesy of the Velvet Room residents, they had quickly decided to band together in order to get through the remaining labyrinths and leave this world. Naoto had suggested that they headed back into the first dungeon to check out each other’s abilities and combat styles so that their leaders could better lead them, and there had been no disagreement.

And so here they were, back in the first floor of _You In Wonderland_.

To start off, they were going to fight in their individual teams, while the other team observed. Akihiko, ever so enthusiastic and pumped up, volunteered for Team Gekko to start first, and so they did.

Minato, field leader of the SEES, commanded the team firmly. Once a Shadow’s weakness was figured out, it was taken out brutally and efficiently. With the way they moved, precise and without waste, one would think that the SEES was a military operation.

Yet, as good as they was, the Investigation Team couldn't help but feel that something was _off_ about them.

Was it Minato, who battled almost apathetically, without fear or hesitation? Was it Yukari, whose hands shake ever so slightly whenever she had to use her Evoker? Was it Junpei, who, despite his enthusiasm and joy, tries a little too hard to shine every time? Was it Mitsuru, who covers for the SEES like it was her responsibility to? Was it Akihiko, whose punch, while firm and strong, were tinged with desperation? Was it Shinjiro, whose every attack involving his Persona was filled with dread? Was it Ken, who, despite his small size and age, attacks the Shadows with what felt like vengeance? Was it Koromaru, whose attacks are so nimble and quick, as though he was afraid of losing the SEES? Was it Aigis, who was almost as apathetic as Minato, not by choice, but because she simply does not understand emotions?

It wasn't until later, when it was their turn to fight, that the Investigation Team found out what _‘it’_ was.

The answer started forming in their heads when Yu stopped the Fusion Blast he was about to perform to cast a desperately-needed Media while Yukiko was still in the midst of frying the shadows with a powerful Agilao. The answer started coming together when Chie smacked into a Shadow with all her might, sending a wave of smiles around when the Shadow dissolved into darkness; and when Kanji cast a well-timed Mazio, stopping a Shadow right as it was about to dig its claws into Naoto’s back. The answer intensified, when Teddie clawed a Shadow into submission, all while spouting un-bear-able puns that had the team smiling exasperatedly. The answer flashed into their heads when Yosuke, boasting the fastest speed out of all of them, threw his entire weight against Yu without hesitation, sending the Investigation Team leader out of the way of a powerful Bufula spell that would have had Yu tethering on the edge of death if it connected.

**_'Trust.'_ **


	3. Zap...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke freaks out when he sees Yu literally struck by lightning, only to find him perfectly fine.

Yu defeated the last shadow with a swing, the shadow disappearing before his eyes as he wiped his brow with his sleeve. He turned around to see Yosuke running toward him, having already defeated the shadow he was facing.

…  He wasn’t quite sure why Yosuke looked so worried though.

"Yu!! Yu! A-are you ok?!" He stopped a few inches from Yu and looked him over a few times.

"E-eh? You don't even have a scratch on you! How is that possible?" Yu stared at Yosuke for a while before looking himself over.

"Yea. So?"

"Don't give me that! You were just struck by lightning! And look! Your clothes aren't even singed!" Yosuke practically yelled, waving his hand in front of him to make his point. Yu simply looked over himself again and tilted his head in confusion.

"And...?"

Yosuke facepalmed in exasperation. “Dude. Did you not hear me? You. Got. Hit. By. Lightning. How would anyone be ok after that?”

“Says the guy that didn’t knocked down by wind,” Yu deadpanned, unamused.

“What? That was just a breeze man. I don’t understand how you got knocked down from that. And you couldn’t even stand up right after … Yu are you ok?” Yosuke stopped talking and turned to face the gray-haired to see him shaking slightly.

“I-I’m fine.” He didn’t want to admit that the ‘breeze’ left him extremely winded and felt more like something punched him in the gut.

Teddie stood a little off to the side, turning from Yosuke to Yu back to Yosuke as they chatted. “… you know… maybe you are weak against certain elements because your Personas are?”

“… eh?”

 


	4. Eyes wide open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He opened his eyes, and the world..."

He opened his eyes, and the world was dark.

There was nothing to be done. There was nothing to be said.

He opened his eyes, and the world was as it was with them closed.

So he shut them once more.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was blue.

It was a soft shade, dark in color but light in brightness.

Where was he again?

“Welcome…”

_I’m…_

And then the world faded out.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was gray.

Not in color, but in perception.

Today was moving day, after all.

New town, new school, new life.

Wouldn’t even have his parents this time.

_What a life to live._

He closed his eyes, hoping for darkness.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was a blur.

Shame there were no airports nearby. Train rides were always such a bore.

Only a little longer until he’d be in his uncle’s care. A whole year he’d be staying this time.

_Better than the four months of the last move._

The window was cool as he leaned his head against it, and the world kept speeding by.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was a dream.

Outside the car, it was foggy and dark. Inside, everything was in shades of blue.

A destiny waiting, bonds to be made, a mystery to be solved.

The power of the Wild Card.

_Like the number zero?_

When he woke, it would be with infinite possibilities.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was spinning.

The first day of school. Interacting with his cousin. Meeting new people. A dead body appearing. The Midnight Channel.

So much was happening, so very quickly. He hoped he could keep up.

_A Persona, huh…_

By the time he fell asleep, he was sure the dizziness would become the norm.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was red.

Zaps of lightning hit their mark as he got to his feet and ran over to the one who had fallen, lying prone on the ground where he had been standing moments before. Is this what they meant, in the moving vehicle they called a Room? This “destiny”, this “power” they were so eager to share with him.

_If this is it, I do not want it. Not if it does not make me strong enough to protect._

Anger bleed through his thoughts, fear at the color blossoming on his ( _companionacquaintancepartner?_ ) best friend’s shirt. Something within him started, and his strength of will allowed power to take a new form.

Gray eyes slid shut with a sigh as the Shadows were defeated, and the fallen healed.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was bright.

How long had it been, since they had started helping people? How long had it been, since they started gaining the power to save?

_How long has it been since I’ve been this happy? How long has it been since I’ve had such friends?_

They would solve this case, and he’d make sure these bonds never weakened.

Sweet dreams graced him with such thoughts.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was dying.

The fog had crept through, slowly poisoning, slowly killing.

She wasn’t healing, and the world was dying.

She wasn’t healing, and the murderer was hiding in the other world.

She wasn’t healing, and they weren’t giving up.

Tears came unbidden from behind closed eyelids, warm arms holding him together as he finally allowed himself to fall apart.

_We’ll catch him, for her sake._

She wasn’t healing, and the world was dying, and they would find the truth.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world had ended.

They fought against a ( _The?_ ) Goddess of Death, and death she brought to them.

He had watched them fall, one by one, all for his sake.

_Endless possibilities, they had told me. Can the endless end here?_

He closed his eyes, and heard the voices, and knew it wasn't over.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was at peace.

The fog was gone, both inside and out. The Goddess has graced them with the power to seek the truth, and had allowed herself to fade.

 _We've_ _won._

A deep tiredness drew him in, calling him for the rest he deserved.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was alive.

Time marched on, but he didn’t regret. He would forever love the time he spent, the bonds he forged.

When it was time to go, he did so with not a heavy heart, but with hope for the future.

They were reluctant, but understanding. They would never let go, not truly, and neither would he.

_I will never forget the days I spent with everyone._

Nevermore would he be alone in the darkness.

 

* * *

 

He opened his eyes, and the world was light.

Summer Vacation came.

They greeted him with open arms.

“Welcome back!!”

Surprise filled him, followed by a deep-rooted happiness.

All he could do was close his eyes, and smile.


	5. Like an idiot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You gotta be laughing like an idiot all the time, Yosuke-senpai!"

At some point, it became second nature to put others so far ahead of himself.

 _“I’m fine,”_ he’d reassure with a smile. “ _As long as you’re not hurt, we’re good.”_

 _“No, no, it’s cool. Not your fault,”_ he’d say with a slight sigh as his grin stayed firmly in place.

Even with all his theatrics, it was hard to tell when he was genuinely upset. He yelled, made a fuss, but most of it was for show, to make those around him feel at ease.

 _“No, you stupid bear!”_ would be followed later with a Topsicle.

 _“He’s the most womanly of us all,”_ would be spoken in a teasing tone with an honest smile.

 _“Please, I’m begging you! You’re the only ones I can count on!”_ was the perfect face of an acting man, marred only by the slightest speck of true desperation to be seen in his eyes.

He was honestly okay with it. So long as they were okay, he would play along with their expectations. He just wasn’t as important.

They were the ones that shone so brightly, after all. His underclassmen, already so much stronger than him. His classmates, who wouldn’t back down from what they believed in. The child-like creature that would hurt for others. He had learned so much from them.

He said as much with a grin on his face, when he heard their support’s sobs.

 _“…It’s the way you’re saying this! It’s all wrong!”_ she had cried.

When he reacted, her sobbing got worse. _“I don’t want you saying such nice things… I don’t like it, because it sounds like you’re about to die!”_ she said through her tears.

_“You gotta be laughing like an idiot all the time, Yosuke-senpai! It helps everyone relax when they hear you laughing things off. That’s why when things are no laughing matter, you need to keep laughing like an idiot. Then we can all do our best, so you can laugh like an idiot from the bottom of your heart…”_

Confusion, and embarrassment, and the slightest traces of unexplained fear coursed through him. Of course she could see through him. As much power as his best friend had, it was the young idol that had the eyes that focused on so much. As if to live up to her words, he tried to play it off as a joke, that she was _leaning pretty hard on the “laugh like an idiot” thing, I’m not that reckless!_

It unnerved him, slightly, though he couldn’t say why. He shrugged it off, unsure of what he was expecting. It bothered him, though, making her cry like that. Even if he didn’t mind if something happened to him as long as the others were alright, it was upsetting to realize even the thought of it could hurt someone else so much.

He was still thinking about it later, after they had decided to head back to the main commons to restock. Brown eyes were kept trailing to the ground as he walked around searching for their leader to ask him about it. Just as he was nearing the food court to check, he heard his name.

_“…He always puts himself last, always gets himself in trouble… I’m afraid he might just vanish one day…”_

The words weren’t very loud, the voice much softer than it had been while scolding him before, but the food court was quiet enough for them to carry clearly. Out of sight, he paused and listened as they spoke of him.

“ _Yosuke’s a jerk sometimes, but he’s actually got a big heart. I mean, he even lets Teddie live at his place,”_ the girl in green explained to two of the new girls.

 _“I was surprised that he was okay with that,”_ the one in red agreed.

 _“…So he’s really a nice guy?”_ the one with the pink sweater asked, as if the thought confused her.

 _“I don’t need him to be that nice,”_ was all the teen idol muttered.

Agreement came in the form of _“That’s why he’s an idiot,”_ and “ _Yes. It’s frustrating how stupid he can be sometimes.”_

 _Is that really what they think of me…?_ Shaking his head, he rounded the corner and walked over to his partner, playing it off like he only heard the very tale end, getting a laugh out of the girls. Gray eyes looked over him and if they noticed the tears that had formed in his own, they didn’t say anything, walking away with a slight smile and a nod.

He didn’t feel worthy of such affections, didn’t think he was really someone to worry so much about, but he wanted to try to do them all proud.


	6. Liar's smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He just didn't seem to care for himself. How stupid of him."

If she was to be frank about it, it pissed her off an awful lot.

How could he not see how exceptional he was? How critical a part he played in their lives?

It didn’t make much sense to her. Couldn’t he see the way he affected everyone, helped keep their spirits up? Didn’t he know they could tell when he was faking, that the fact that he still tried for them meant so much?

When the team was in a rut, he would chime up with a thought that would help lead them far. It might be a simple hint, overlooked time and again until he thought it out. It might be planning a break, claiming they could all do to relax. It might be to arrange a group study date, stating that they’d all get more done if they worked together.

They all looked up to him in their own ways.

The Detective Prince was brilliant, there was no denying it. But it was clear how she admired his quick thinking, how he was able to connect things she overlooked by staying on his toes.

The residential “punk” acted tough, though his worry and care for his senpai always shone through. Even when being teased, he couldn’t stop the admiration he held for the second in command.

 The biggest meat lover of the group loved to rile him up, treated him like one would expect siblings or cousins to act.

The lively innkeeper‘s daughter couldn’t help poking fun, trying to keep him a happy as he kept the rest of them. She wasn’t as close, but held him in high regard.

The Shadow child that had grown a heart treated him like an older brother, worrying and laughing and loving like a true sibling would.

It was him that their leader confided in. Whenever the gray eyed teen needed someone’s thoughts, he was the first to be turned to. Be it about the case, or if training was going well, or for study sessions, it was always him. It was clear to all how close the two were, that they had an unbreakable connection.

She always admired him, too. A false smile wasn’t hard to spot, not knowing what she did, yet whenever he had one it was to reassure others. The others that he always seemed to place above himself, she found out as they grew closer.

He just didn’t seem to care for himself. How stupid of him.

So when she finally broke, she figured no one could blame her. At first, she had tried to fight back the tears as she listened to him speak, about how much they all meant to him. The words didn’t sound right, not considering the situation. After hearing his tone, she couldn’t take it anymore and told him as much.

_“…It’s the way you’re saying this! It’s all wrong!”_

He had to know how special he was, too.


	7. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even Yu has worries that haunt him late at night.

It was an ordinary night. Well, ordinary until Yosuke showed up at his front door practically begging for help on the homework they had due the next day. And thanks to his short attention span, the homework wasn’t finished until the moon was high in the sky.

Yu was sure that Yosuke did it so that he would have an excuse to stay the night. Not that he minded though.

After a quick call to his uncle at the police station to let him know Yosuke was staying the night, he set about taking out the spare futon from the closet and laying it out in his room.

By the time he finished, Yosuke had returned from the bathroom and was watching him with a curious look. "Something the matter?" the gray-haired teen asked.

The brunet shook his head. "No, nothing." Yu frowned slightly, but let the matter drop. If Yosuke didn't want to share, he wouldn't press. Instead he stifled a yawn, missing how Yosuke's eyes narrowed slightly at the action, and stood up. "Well, it's not that late but we do have school tomorrow. Did you wanna play something or...?" He motioned at the tv. Most of the games he owned were ones he brought from the city. Slightly outdated, but still an enjoyable way to pass the time.

Instead of agreeing like he usually did, however, Yosuke grinned sheepishly. "Actually partner... I'm still kinda tired from training in the TV earlier this week. Maybe next time?" He tried to walk past Yu to the futon but he was intercepted. Yu brought a hand to his forehead and the other to his, a look of concern on his face while he compared the two temperatures. Yosuke's face was a mixture of shock and embarrassment, cheeks slightly pink from the closeness of other.

"Your temperature seems normal... you aren't feeling sick, are you? Perhaps we trained too long... usually you don't feel the effects for more than a day..." Yu withdrew his hands from a flustered Yosuke, pondering it over.

"I-it's probably because I have been working a lot of shifts lately. I had to take so many days off so we could go into the TV and now I have to make up for it, you know? Don't worry about it. I'll be better after a good night's rest." He moved past Yu, his movements still slightly stiff from embarrassment,  and crawled into the futon. "You should get some rest too," he mumbled, facing away from the gray-haired teen.

The words did little to ease Yu's concern for his friend but rather than pursue the issue, he again let the matter drop. He was also feeling kinda tired: perhaps a good night's rest was all that was needed. With that idea in mind, he left the room to brush his teeth and get ready for bed.

* * *

 

Contrary to his words, Yosuke was still awake long after Yu turned off the lights and went to bed. He would have loved to stay up and play video games with his partner but that wasn't the reason why he came over.

It was the things that he had noticed over the past few weeks that led him to staying over and kept him awake even now. How Yu tended to doze off in class. How he had faint bags under his eyes. How his feet seemed to drag on the ground ever so slightly.

How there were times when his smile seemed ever so slightly forced.

He wasn’t sure of the cause of it, but the brunet was absolutely certain that whatever it was affecting his partner, it had been affecting him since the fight with Mitsuo. Perhaps it was when he got captured by the shadow? He _was_ the only one that got captured. But they had saved him as quickly as possible and he seemed fine right after.

... No. That wasn’t right.

Yosuke thought back to the fight. There was something odd that he said, that caught Yosuke’s attention.

_“I am not empty!”_

Did something happen while he was caught by the shadow? What did he mean by empty? Was this what was bothering him, even now?

He turned to face the bed. In the darkness, he could barely make out anything more than the sleeping form of his partner. The gray-haired rarely talked about himself either and appeared to prioritize caring for others over himself. It seemed like he was hiding so much behind that quiet personality of his and no one would even notice.

As the night continued, Yosuke found his eyes drifting shut. Perhaps it was a good idea to get some sleep…

He heard a quiet sob.

His eyes flew open. He stared at the lump of blankets, searching for any sign of movement. Anything that would show that the sob came from Yu, but there was none. He closed his eyes again. Maybe he just imagined it…

“I’m not alone… I’m _not…_!”

His eyes flew open for the second time that night and he sat up, certain that he didn’t imagine those words. “Yu…?” he whispered, slowly standing up and making his way to his partner’s bedside.

The gray-haired’s jaw was unclenched and his eyebrows were furrowed, eyes squeezed tight as if hiding from something. His hands clenched the sheets tightly and he was curled into a slight fetal position.

Yosuke stood over his partner for a few seconds, lost at what to do. He looked so vulnerable… a stark contrast to how he is during the day.

Was Yu having a nightmare? If that’s the case… he should wake him up right? Slowly, the brunet lowered himself so he was kneeling on the ground, thoughts in turmoil.

Empty… Alone… What did it all mean…? Were they connected?

Then it clicked, recent events linking together in his mind. Why Yu was slow to answer during meetings. Why he walked ever so slightly behind everyone else. Why he tried to change the subject every time discussion of next year came up.

Why his eyes seemed to have a distant look to them.

The brunet wasn’t sure if it had to do with the social links he heard the other talk about on occasion. Hell, he didn’t even know if his theory was right at all. But the more he thought about it, the more certain he was.

Unlike him, who constantly checked his phone for messages from the city when he moved to Inaba, Yu never checked his phone once. In fact, when he happened to catch a glimpse of the contacts listed in the phone, the only people there were the members of the Investigation Team and the Dojimas. He never once mentioned his life back at the city or anyone he knew there. Even when they visited the city, the gray-haired never said a word about his life before moving to Inaba.

Was that why he appeared to make time for everyone in their team, and then some? Why he went out of his way to help others? Not just for social links, but also for himself?

Was it possible that he… had no friends before coming to Inaba?

… that he was… lonely?

Come to think of it… Yu _was_ going to leave by the time spring came around…

“Don’t…!” A hand reached out toward Yosuke, having released its death grip on the bed sheets. The tone was heart-wrenching and before Yosuke was aware of what he was doing, he was grasping Yu’s hand in his own.

Yu shot upright, eyes wide open and nearly pulling Yosuke forward with him. He blinked a few times, looking around to get a sense of his surroundings before noticing Yosuke grasping his hand. “Yosuke…? Why are you holding my hand?”

The brunet, who was leaning with one hand on the edge of the bed, sat up with a flustered look and immediately let go of his partner’s hand. “T-This is… I thought you were having a nightmare so…” He turned away. “A… Are you ok partner?”

Yu was silent for a while, recalling his dream in vivid detail. Yosuke fidgeted by the edge of the bed, still kneeling on the floor. After a few moments, the brunet stood up. “I-It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it. I-I mean I’m here for you just like you were for me so if you ever–” His sentence was cut short when Yu grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed, leaving him flustered in the teen’s grasp. “Y-Yu?!” He held his breath as Yu pulled him into a hug, burying his head in the other’s shoulder, before wrapping his arms the other.  

They stayed like that for a while, unmoving as time passed. Eventually, Yosuke moved away, murmuring about how they should get some sleep, only to be dragged into bed with Yu. The brunet protested quietly but eventually relented and settled for getting comfortable beneath the covers.

They would talk about it later, but for now they were content to be in each other’s company.

 

 


	8. Adventures in Rooming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narukami Yu was, much to Yosuke’s utmost and mortified surprise, not a morning person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to write fluff but ended with feelings. Not completely sorry. Also warning for OoC-ness, because what is characterization?   
> (This was also supposed to be a drabble, but I ended up with nearly 3k words. Oops.)

Narukami Yu was, much to his roommate’s utmost and mortified surprise, _not_ a morning person. Much more surprising was the fact that it was something that Yosuke only learned _two months_ into their rooming.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

The decision to room together for their university wasn't exactly much of a _‘decision’_ ; there had never been any doubts in their mind that they would do so, ever since the day Yu had left the sleepy town on that clear, sunny day.

The apartment itself took some time to find. It had to be within a decent distance from their universities, as well as decently priced, so that neither of them would need to work their butts off just to meet rent. (Yu’s talent in charming anyone of any age was, as usual, very helpful in this aspect.) They had moved in almost immediately; spending the first two weeks getting used to the neighbourhood, as well as living together, then the following two weeks getting orientated with their universities. The first month was, overall, a busy month, but at the very least neither of them had to be up early at all… yet.

In the second month, classes had finally started proper, meaning that they now had to wake up at all sorts of ungodly hours. That was, of course, when Yosuke learned about his partner’s morning tendencies.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

At precisely 0625, Yosuke’s phone blared with a shrilling alarm and the brunet briefly entertained the idea of chucking his phone at the furthest wall as he fumbled blindly at the side table to snooze it. He was dimly aware of shuffling somewhere in the apartment, but dozed off before he could put any real thought to it. Sadly, Yosuke was forced awake when his treacherous alarm rang again five minutes later. This time, Yosuke decided to actually get up—it wouldn't do good for him to be late for the first day of class, after all.

Shutting off the alarm, Yosuke left the comfort and warmth of his bed, shuffling off to the unoccupied bathroom. (A quick check on the way told him Yu was already up, and the bed, though made, was not perfectly done.) A quick shower and wash-up later, and the brunet was walking into the small, open kitchen.

“Morning, partner.” Yosuke greeted as the sight of Yu nursing a mug of coffee at the kitchen counter came into view.

Yu mumbled something under his breath, but continued to stare blearily into the space in front of him. Yosuke blinked, surprised at his partner’s near-complete unawareness in the morning, before a grin broke out on his face. _‘So he isn't picture-perfect the moment he wakes up…’_ Yosuke noted to himself, grin widening as he walked into the kitchen and past the kitchen counter to reach for the fridge.

Before his hand could touch the metal handle of said fridge, however, another hand that was decidedly not his own’s wrapped itself around Yosuke’s wrist. A gentle tug had Yosuke turning to the source: one still-very-sleepy Narukami Yu, head still in the exact same position as it was seconds ago, but with grey eyes glancing in Yosuke's general direction. Before Yosuke could even question his partner, Yu had leaned forward across the kitchen counter in a speed that was unexpected for someone still ninety-eight percent asleep, and pressed their lips together.

(Well, technically, Yu missed his lips by quite a bit and landed on the side instead, but Yosuke was more preoccupied with the fact that _his partner was kissing him_ than with the accuracy of said kiss.)

It didn't last long; Yu only lingered for a couple of seconds before retreating to the exact same position he was in before taking another sip of his coffee.

Yosuke stared at his partner, slack-jawed, before he snapped out of his stupor, all but fleeing out of the apartment.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

Unless his partner was playing him, Yu actually had no idea of what he does in the morning before his daily caffeine alarms.

(Yosuke would like to believe that he had known his partner long enough to accurately tell whether or not Yu was lying to him.)

On the same day of the first incident, Yosuke had returned in the evening (after loitering around the university in a futile effort to put off returning to the apartment) to Yu making dinner in a pink, adult-sized Detective Loveline apron. Yosuke had attempted to act as though he hadn't been kissed by his roommate just earlier in the day, and had, of course, failed miserably. Yu had frowned worriedly at him, asking if Yosuke was feeling fine.

_'I'm sorry if I sound annoying, but are you really alright, Yosuke? You left this morning before I even realised you were up.'_

Those were Yu's exact words, and Yosuke believed him without question.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

Over the next few incidents (which were helping to prove his theory of Yu's lack of awareness in the morning), Yosuke began to note the patterns.

If Yu didn't get a certain amount of sleep, he'd wake up physically, but would only be completely awake roughly seven minutes after ingesting a cup of coffee. (Yu also only drank one cup of coffee in the morning, just to wake up; he'd only take another if he needed the energy boost for some reason.) Days where Yu actively greeted Yosuke in the morning were 'safe'; days where Yu only mumbled out a reply with a mug in hand were not.

Yosuke had tried to keep out of his line of vision (because after the first four times, Yosuke realised that despite mumbling a greeting, Yu only reacted when Yosuke actually entered his field of vision), but there was only so much he could do in their small kitchen. Then he tried only appearing when Yu has had his coffee (sadly, due to the timing of his classes, the success rate was relatively low), or even leaving the apartment directly to get breakfast from the café down the street (a much better solution, but sadly he could only afford it a couple of times).

So far, Yosuke was having zero luck in finding a way out of his predicament, short of outright confronting Yu―something he was keen on _not_ doing.

The fact that Yu's _'accuracy'_ in the morning was improving by the days, and that Yosuke was finding himself less and less flustered with every incident was really not helping.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

By the time the thirteenth incident rolled around, Yosuke had worked himself into quite a frenzy.

Given that he had tried almost everything he could think of, the only possible way to stop the incidents were to confront Yu, but therein lies the problem: Yosuke wasn't sure if he actually _wanted_ the incidents to _stop_. He may have been in denial for the most of their year together at Inaba, but Yosuke was, by now, aware that what he felt for Yu was something indescribable. He couldn't confidently say that he loved his partner in the romantic sense, but he was, at the very least, very fond of Yu.

What Yosuke _was_ confident of at the moment was that this series of little incidents were going to either make or break their partnership.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

As it turned out, Yu took the decision out of his hands on the day of the eighteenth incident, roughly a month since the start of the incidents.

"Yosuke," He had called, his tone carefully level, in the middle of their usual pre-bedtime hot cocoas. "Is… everything alright? You've been a little jumpy lately."

"Yes!" Yosuke answered immediately. Then, realising that he had answered too quickly and too enthusiastically, Yosuke let his voice lower and calm as he repeated, "Yes… I'm really fine, partner." The worry in Yu's eyes didn't dissipate, so he added weakly, "It's just… school. But don't worry. I can handle it! …Still."

"I…" Yu looked as if he were going to protest, undoubtedly aware of the obvious half-truth. "I see." He finally said. "I have a morning class tomorrow, so I'll turn in now."

The silveret shuffled quietly into the kitchen to rinse off his mug, before turning back to head further into the apartment. Throughout it all, Yu was the epitome of calm, but Yosuke knew his partner well enough to detect the faint hints of confusion, dejection and hurt. He swallowed nervously, hands unconsciously tightening around his own mug, as he watched the back of his partner as Yu headed for his room.

“You’ve been kissing me nearly every morning before you finish your coffee…!” Yosuke found himself blurting out right before Yu could enter his room.

He slapped his hands over his mouth immediately, but it was already too late; Yu had turned around eerily slowly, eyes blown wide open with shock. (Yosuke noted in the back of his mind that this was the first time he’d seen Yu at such a complete loss of words and self-control, and was actually proud of causing that.) Slowly but surely, a faint blush started forming on Yu’s face, spreading across his cheeks and even lighting up the tips of his ears.

“…Oh.” Yu said intelligently.

“Yes… Oh.” Yosuke replied, just as coherently.

Another silence ensued in which Yosuke found himself blushing as much as his partner, and they stared quietly and awkwardly at each other, neither knowing how to react to the revelation.

Finally, it was Yu that spoke up, “H-How… how long have I…?”

“Slightly more than a month.” Yosuke answered.

“…Oh.” Yu said again. “Oh…” One more time, but this time more to himself than to Yosuke. The blush was back, and Yu looked like a mixture of embarrassment and sheepish. “I’m sorry, Yosuke.”

“You’re sorry…?” Yosuke blinked, looking absolutely baffled. “What do you mean you’re sorry? You were barely awake when you kissed me and it’s not like I minded.” A pause. “Partner, if you tell me you’ve been faking your pre-coffee mornings, I swear I am going to _Garudyne_ you so fast, you’ll—”

“—you didn't mind?” Yu interrupted.

"I…" Denial came to Yosuke instinctively, but he pushed it down, and carefully considered the entire string of incidents. Finally, he answered, "No, I didn't mind it. I mean, the first few times surprised me, but… no, I don't mind it anymore." It was the truth, and Yu knew it too. "D-Don't distract me." Yosuke said next, huffing half-heartedly. "What were you apologising for earlier? I'm warning you, I'm still in the mood of _Garudyne_ -ing you if you say something weird…"

"I like you, Yosuke." Yu said. "I like you a lot, and I'm starting to think my subconscious is sick of me not doing anything, hence why the kissing," He blushed at this. "in the mornings. Before I'm completely awake."

"…Oh."

"…I'm sor―"

"Partner, Yu… If you apologise for liking me, I'm really going to sic _Susano-O_ on you this time." Yosuke said firmly. Yu's mouth shut obediently. "Just… give me a moment, okay?" Yosuke continued, and Yu nodded, waiting quietly at where he was. Silence fell again, this time not quite as awkward, while Yosuke thought. “Partner, I like you.” He spoke after a long while. “…I think.”

“…You think?” Yu asked, when it looked like Yosuke wasn't going to continue.

“I think.” Yosuke confirmed. “Honestly, I’m not very sure. I like you, Yu, and I stopped minding about the sleepy kisses in the morning a while back. So, yes, I like you, but… I’m not sure if it’s to the same extend as you… yet.”

Yu breathed out deeply. “Thank you, Yosuke. I can't explain everything that I’m thankful for, but… thank you.” Yosuke merely nodded with a small, relieved smile. Seeing that smile had lit something in Yu, and the silveret found himself asking, “Yosuke, can I— no… _May_ I kiss you?”

“…what?”

Both found themselves noting that Yu’s normally impeccable self-control seem to have been shot to hell today, but pushed the thoughts to the very back of their minds in favour of more pressing matters. Yu shifted on his feet nervously as Yosuke tried to force the red tinting his cheeks down, while simultaneously trying to decide on an answer. (Much to Yu's unawareness, the answer had came to Yosuke immediately, but the brunet was trying to convince himself to voice it.)

“It’s okay if you don't want to.” Yu assured before the silence dragged too long. “And, I promise to control myself better in the morning, though I think it's best if you avoid me for now…”

“Yu,” Yosuke sighed. “I _did_ say I didn't mind the morning kisses, right?" Yu nodded, and he continued, "So yes. You may kiss me."

"…Are you sure?" Yu questioned hesitantly.

"Of course he starts questioning me _when I said yes_ …" Yosuke muttered darkly under his breath. "Partner, I am very, very sure. Now will you _please_ kiss me before I start regretting―"

Before Yosuke could finish the admittedly half-hearted threat, Yu had darted forward, stopping right before Yosuke in quick strides. Not pausing to give them any chance of hesitation, Yu leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

There was no spark or metaphorical fireworks bursting in celebration. There was just two teenagers awkwardly, nervously, yet sweetly kissing properly for the first time. Their nose bumped almost painfully, but Yu swiftly tilted his head and dove in again with more success. While Yosuke had his arms hanging by his sides, Yu had his hovering in the air, looking as though he wished to hug Yosuke, but didn't dare to. They only kept the connection for a little while, and broke apart without much fanfare. There was no hitch of breaths or increase in breathing; only two faintly flushed face, each with a small smile.

"Was that…" Yu trailed off to clear his throat. "Was that… okay?"

"Yes." Yosuke breathed. "Yes, that was okay. That was… very okay."

"So…" Yu continued slowly, his tone questioning once more. "…Can we go for coffee? Tomorrow?"

"Are you… asking me out on a date, Yu?" Yosuke blinked. A nod. "Okay. It's a date."

If Yosuke still had any doubts about his feelings for his partner lingering after the extremely pleasant kiss, then the blindingly bright smile Yu shot him, so full of hope and (dare he say) _love_ , certainly obliterated it.

~ **•** ~ **•** ~

"Morning, Yu."

"Good morning, Yosuke."

As it turned out, unsurprisingly, the coffee date went extremely well, and was followed by several more. Now, three months later, Yosuke could confidently tell anyone who asked (aka. Yu's ever enthusiastic fangirls… and boys) that they were dating.

Around the same time, back in Inaba, Rise had won a large sum of money from what was undeniably a betting pool. (The Investigation Team had not bothered with betting on whether the two will get together, and instead betted on _when_ they'll get together. Rise had bet on the longest date possible (because she _does_ know relationships well), while Naoto came remarkably close on second (because her deductive skills were not for show). Yu had unabashedly asked for a cut of the winning pool and Rise promised so the next time they dropped by Inaba.)

"What are you smiling about?" Yosuke questioned suspiciously as he went for his choice of morning beverage.

“You.” Yu answered without preamble, smiling fondly at his boyfriend. “You. Us. Everything.”

The ease at which Yu declared his affections never failed to turn Yosuke a nice shade of red, but at the same time made him feel a tad jealous and guilty that he couldn't do the same. “Everything… including the betting pool?” Yosuke deflected instead.

The grin Yu shot him was unrepentant. “It _was_ awfully nice of Rise to share her winnings…”

“She still likes you a lot.” Yosuke shot back.

“Not as much anymore.” Yu replied. “The last I heard, she has a new goal. She wouldn't tell me who it was until she was successful though.”

“Hiding things from our esteemed leader… She must be serious.” Yosuke hummed thoughtfully. Yu nodded solemnly and Yosuke continued, “Any chance you know who it is? Is there another betting pool going around?”

“Depends on how good Chie and Yukiko are at reconnaissance.” Yu replied.

“Not Naoto?” Yosuke blinked. Yu smiled over the brim of his coffee mug. It was a minute or two later when he spoke. “Oh.”

Yu resisted the urge to chuckle. “Well, that’s that.” He concluded. “Yousuke?” Yu waited until his boyfriend's attention was completely on him before continuing with a smile, "May I kiss you?"

And just like that, Yosuke was blushing again, but with an exasperated smile as well. "You don't have to ask me that every time, you know."

"I know."

"Then, yes, you may kiss me, Yu."

Yu smiled, reaching across the kitchen counter like he did every morning before coffee, and gently grasped Yosuke's wrist. A soft tug, and Yosuke was meeting him halfway, and by now, their lips touched seamlessly, perfectly. Yu put his mug down on the counter, then used his now freed hand to gently cup the back of Yosuke’s neck and bring them closer. When they broke apart, it was with reluctance, as they pressed their foreheads together, breathing heavily, but smiling widely.

"Morning, partner…"

"Good morning, partner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That... was a pretty crappy ending. Sorry.


	9. We Are (Not) Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yu and Yosuke are dating. Probably.

October was ending, but as long as the killer doesn’t make a move, the investigation couldn’t carry on, so the team had been relaxing carefully. With exams finished, the Investigation Team (sans Teddie) had chosen to gather at the rooftop to have lunch together on a sunny afternoon with clear skies and pretty white clouds.

“Out of curiosity,” Naoto started politely, cutting through the idle conversation. Cobalt blue eyes lifted to meet steel grey. “Does Detective Dojima know that you’re dating?”

“I’ve yet to tell him.” Yu answered, shaking his head. “I haven’t had a chance yet. He’d been working overtime a lot, and while he’s making an effort to come home more often, we usually spend it with Nanako.”

“But it’s been…” Chie paused, lifting a hand to count off her fingers. “…five months?”

“Four months.” Yu corrected. “…Give or take.”

“You’ve been dating someone for _four_ months, partner?” Yosuke spoke up in surprise. “How come I don’t know about it?”

Yu blinked twice (calmly, as he usually does), while the rest of the Investigation Team stared in varying degrees of shock. Yosuke stared back at them in confusion.

“…What?”

“I… was under the impression that Narukami-senpai was dating _you_ , Yosuke-senpai.” Naoto, ever the brave detective, was the one who broke the increasingly awkward silence. She looked faintly mortified at her possible error. “Was… I mistaken?”

“…Again, _what?_ ”

“I thought they were dating too.” Chie admitted. “I mean, Yu makes box lunches for Yosuke all the time.”

“He makes it for you guys too!” Yosuke retorted.

“We only get one each!” Chie shot back. At Yosuke’s confused look, she clarified, “He shares it with one of us once a month. He makes box lunches to share with you every two or three weeks.”

Yu looked faintly impressed that someone had noticed that.

“Speaking of which, whose turn is it next month?” Yukiko asked. “This month was Rise-chan, right?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “I think it’s Naoto’s turn next month.”

“ _Me?_ ” “Is there a system or something?!”

“Not a system,” Rise answered. “Just that Naoto’s the only one who hasn’t gotten to try _Senpai_ ’s box lunches.”

“W-Well…” Yosuke faltered. “S-So we eat lunch together often―” (He ignored the _“homemade lunches”_ someone close muttered.) “―how is that a good reason to think we’re dating?!”

“Yosuke-senpai’s really protective of Yu-senpai too.” Rise remarked.

“In what way?” Yosuke questioned.

“Hey, Yosuke-senpai,” Kanji spoke up. “Didn’t you almost get into trouble with that third-year asshole who was ins―”

Yosuke lunged forward and slapped his hands over Kanji’s mouth. “Hey, _shut it!_ ” He hissed.  Turning around and seeing the shocked looks (and, from Yu, a look of worry), Yosuke quickly lied, “That asshole brought up the whole ‘Prince of Junes’ thing again; you know how much I hate that stupid title. I got irritated, but Kanji passed by and broke it up.”

“Heh. That punk was a coward.” Kanji nodded quickly. “Ran away as soon as he saw me.”

“Well, at least you’re alright.” Rise said. “That aside though, I actually referred to the TV world. Yosuke-senpai’s always looking out for Yu-senpai.”

“I look out for everyone!” Yosuke huffed.

“Come to think of it, Yosuke tends to shield Yu a lot…” Chie remarked.

“You guys do it too!” He nearly threw his arms up in exasperation. “We’re in huge trouble if our esteemed leader fall.”

“You do it the most though.” Rise replied. “Himiko can prove it.”

“Have you ever considered―and I’m _really_ not boasting here―that that might be because my speed _is_ , in fact, the fastest here, and my reaction time is only second after Yu’s?”

“…Well…”

Yosuke slapped a hand over his face.

Naoto, who had been quiet for a while, spoke up again. “I may be wrong, but… It seems Narukami-senpai has often walked Hanamura-senpai home?”

There was another bout of silence, but it was brief and soon, Chie started, “Now that she mentions it…”

“He walks you guys home too, doesn’t he?” Yosuke frowned.

“Only the girls, because Senpai’s a gentleman.” Rise smiled.

“What the― You’re making me sound like a _girl_!” Yosuke groaned. He turned to Yu, who had been quietly watching for the past few minutes. “…You’ve been really quiet, partner.”

“They’ve been defending me pretty well.” Yu replied, shrugging lightly. “I’m afraid you’re slightly wrong on the last point, though.” He continued, directly that at the rest of the team. “I walk Yosuke back when it’s raining and he forgot his umbrella, or if I needed to pick up groceries at Junes. As I mentioned earlier, Uncle has been making an effort to come home for dinner, so I needed to pick up groceries more often.”

“I see…” Naoto murmured thoughtfully. “Then it would seem I was wrong.”

“So, you’re really not dating then…?” Rise asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

“I was just pulling your leg.” Yu replied.  

“Oh for the love of―” Yosuke stood up abruptly, crossed the small space of the group, grabbed Yu and dragged him towards the roof entrance. Pushing his confused partner in, Yosuke quickly stepped through the threshold, and slammed the door shut behind them. “Partner―”

“―I’m sorry.”

“…Huh?” Yosuke blinked. “Why are _you_ sorry?”

“I was just playing with them. We’re not actually dating.” Yu answered.

Yosuke let out a long breath. “...Do you want us to be?”

“…!!”

Yu looked completely startled and Yosuke almost felt a little proud. It was, after all, near impossible to rattle the other teen.

“I do.” Yu finally answered, sighing deeply as he did. “But that’s just me; you don’t have to feel the same. Let’s just go.”

“We’re going to forget this ever happened?” Yosuke questioned.

“Of course.” Yu nodded.

“…No.”

“…No…?”

“No, we’re not going to forget this ever happened.” Yosuke said. Yu looked at him, confused. “You may be able to act like nothing happened, partner, that this was all a joke, because you have the best damn poker face I’ve ever seen in my life, but that doesn’t mean that _I_ can forget.”

“Then what do you propose we do?” Yu frowned, slightly peeved. “See if I can conjure up a Persona that can wipe memories?”

“Funny, partner.” Yosuke retorted. “ _We_ are going to give this a shot.”

“‘This’?”

“D-Dating.” Yosuke clarified, his face faintly pink. “We’ll find a day, and we’ll have an actual, proper date.”

“…How does this Saturday sound? You’re not working that day.” Yu asked.

“I don’t even know what to feel about you knowing my work schedule because I’ve never told you,” Yu put on his best innocent face at that. “But okay. It’s a date.”

“Thank you, Yosuke.” Yu smiled.

“W-What for?”

“For giving me a chance.” Yu replied. “Let’s go back. I’m… quite terrified of what they would have come up with in the past ten minutes…”

“…Partner, we are _never_ going to live this down, are we?”

“I don’t think so. Sorry, Yosuke.”  


	10. You Are Not Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the night of 11/05, Yu was alone in the Dojima residences. Well, not if Yosuke (and the Investigation Team) has anything to say about it.

They had offered to walk him back as subtly as they could (which is to say, not subtle at all), but he had politely declined. None of them had wanted, nor dared to push him, so they had reluctantly gave in and, after deciding on the time to meet at the Junes food court tomorrow, each went their own ways. He had stood at where he was, watching his friends until he could no longer see them nor feel his own limbs before he finally forced himself to head home—to the cold, empty house with the broken _kotatsu_.

The door was shut, but still unlocked—Naoto didn't have the keys to lock it, after all—so Yu stepped in and headed for the living room. He sat down at the coffee table, but instead of his usual seat, he sat down at Nanako’s seat, and stared blankly into the small TV.

Yu didn't know how long he sat there. He only snapped back to attention at the sound of shattering glass, followed by a sliding door opening rather violently.

“Yu!!”

Before he knew it, Yu was staring into a pair of wide brown eyes, concern with a hint of panic staring back at him.

“…Yosuke…? What are you…” He trailed off as his eyes caught onto something beside his partner. “The TV…”

“The TV?” Yosuke echoed, turning around to follow Yu’s line of sight. “Oh. So _that’s_ what I heard.”

The small TV in the room still sat mostly intact, but its screen was cracked by a central impact. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what caused it; after all, the TV remote that usually sat on the table or the couch was now on the floor near the TV. Yosuke pressed a hand down on Yu’s shoulder, silently instructing his partner to stay where he was, before rounding the table to examine the TV.

He spoke after a minute. “Well, I’m no expert on electronics, but the TV looks fine. It’s just the screen that shattered. I’m pretty sure there’s someone in the Shopping District that can fix this.” Yosuke paused, thinking to himself, before he continued, “Or we could all chip in and get you a new one. No offense, partner, but your TV is pretty small and kinda old. We’ll bring Nanako-chan along and get it at Junes. I’ll even throw in my staff discount!”

“…Thank you, Yosuke.” Yu answered. “…Yosuke? What are you doing at my house?”

“I… well… I just… didn’t want to leave you alone tonight.” Yosuke replied. “N-Not that I don’t trust you, partner. Just…” Stopping again, Yosuke took in a deep breath, as if he were gathering his courage, and said, “You shouldn’t be alone right now―not in this house.”

“I’m―”

Yu’s eyes widened a fraction as his voice cracked, and his breath hitched. His throat tightened painfully, and his sight blurred over. Yosuke quietly walked over and wrapped his arms around his best friend loosely. He stayed that way as the body he held in his arms shook, until that same body stilled.

* * *

"Yosuke… Thank you. I’m fine now.” Yu murmured, smiling faintly.

“Up for some dinner?” Yosuke asked. Gesturing to the two Junes bags left haphazardly at the doorway, he continued, “I’m not that good at cooking, but I can still make a decent fried rice that’s edible and nowhere near the Mystery Food X level.”

“Sure.” Yu nodded. “I’ll help.”

They retrieved the bag of ingredients Yosuke had brought with him and began to work. They unpacked the bags and chose their ingredients, before splitting up the chores then. Yosuke was almost done cutting the ingredients when the doorbell rang, halting them in their tasks. The two exchanged glances; Yosuke silently questioning if Yu had been expecting anyone, and Yu shaking his head in reply. Together, they quietly dropped what they were doing and answered the door together.

“Hey, Yu, me and Yukiko brought― _Yosuke_?!”

“Whaa― Chie? Yukiko-san?”

“Hey, Senpai, there were some leftover tofu at the shop so I―”

“―Mom bought something good today so―”

“Sensei! I brought Topsicles!!”

“ _Teddie_? Wait, those are mi―”

“Oh, Senpai, I brought you some of Grandfather’s favourite teas―”

The Investigation Team, now fully gathered in front of the Dojima residence, stared at each other awkwardly. Chie, Yukiko and Kanji all had what looked like a boxed bento in their hands; Rise was holding a bag of Marukyu Tofu; Teddie was holding a Junes bag that was likely holding an _entire_ box of Topisicles while Naoto had a tin of rather expensive looking tea in her hand. (And, while it was obvious why everyone had gathered there, most of them were more curious about why one of them in particular was already there and was greeting them along their leader in an apron.)

A snicker broke the silence.

“ _Yukiko_.” Chie hissed, lightly elbowing her best friend.

“What? It’s not me.” Yukiko replied.

“…Yu…?”

Six heads turned in sync towards the threshold, directing their stares to the spot beside Yosuke, where one Narukami Yu was snickering uncontrollably into his hand. There were various calls of his name, but soon, laughter was spreading throughout the team for no apparent reason.

Finally, when he managed to control himself, Yu stepped aside. “Come on in then.”

* * *

Yu and Yosuke quickly finished making the fried rice (while Yosuke vehemently dodged the cheeky looks shot at him) while the others began setting up the living room table with all the various stuff they brought with them (except for the Topsicle that went into the refrigerator). None of them commented on the state of the TV, though they did turn it on, leaving it on a random entertainment show.

The Investigation Team ate dinner animatedly, sharing everything everyone had brought, chatting mostly about school and some of the things that happened around town. Naoto even threw in some of her more interesting cases at the team’s insistent. They ended dinner with a round of Topsicles, after which they broke up for home, while Yosuke stayed under the premise of helping Yu clean up.

“You should go wash up first,” Yu said. “I’ll go get the spare _futon_.”

“Thanks, partner.” Yosuke grinned back, snagging his overnight bag from where he had stashed it and headed up the stairs.

When he was certain that Yosuke was out of hearing range, Yu murmured to himself. “Thank **_you_** , partner.”

* * *

Minutes later, the work desk in Yu’s room was pushed to the side, and two _futons_ were spread in the middle of the room, facing the small TV in the room. They’d both washed up, but Yosuke had _insisted_ on making hot cocoa, so they were now sitting together on the sofa.

“…Yu?”

“Hmm?”

“ _Why_ are we watching Phoenix Ranger Featherman R?”

“Because it’s popular with the kids at the daycare.”

“Okay… but why do you have the complete season boxset?”

“There’s a limited edition Featherman R action figure, and it only comes with the boxset.”

“Okay.”

While Yosuke loved his best friend a lot, Yu was, admittedly, more than a little quirky at times, and this right now was one of those times, and Yosuke decided not to question it further.

By the time midnight rolled around, they had been almost halfway into the season. Yu had been nodding off in the past hour, but never seemed to fall completely asleep.

“Yu, just go to sleep. I’ve got you.”

“…can’t sleep…” Yu mumbled.

“You need to at least get a couple of hours in.” Yosuke sighed. “Yu, listen to me. We are going into the TV world tomorrow. We _will_ get to Nanako-chan and we _will_ save her. And you, our leader, are going to lead us as usual. We need you at hundred percent. **_Nanako_** needs you. Her Big Bro.”

“…If you’re here, where’s Teddie?” Yu diverted.

“He’s staying at Kanji’s tonight.” Yosuke answered. “No one’s alone tonight.” He went on. “Chie is staying over at Yukiko’s, and Rise’s with Naoto. Not sure which house they’re staying at though.”

“…I see…” Yu murmured. “I’ve said this before, but… Thank you, Yosuke.”

“Anytime, partner.”

* * *

 

> _To: Teddie, Satonaka Chie, Amagi Yukiko, Tatsumi Kanji, Kujikawa Rise, Shirogane Naoto_
> 
> _From: Hanamura Yosuke_
> 
> _Subject: He’s Asleep_
> 
> _[06/11/11, 12:37]_
> 
> _Took some time, but I finally got him to sleep. Go to sleep, guys._

It took less than a minute for all of the recipients to reply with a affirmative, but despite what he told the team, Yosuke didn’t sleep immediately. Turning around in his _futon_ , Yosuke kept an eye on Yu, not willing to fall asleep until he was sure Yu had fallen into a deep sleep. Frowning, he pulled out his phone again, and fired off another message.

> _To: Kujikawa Rise_
> 
> _From: Hanamura Yosuke_
> 
> _Subject: About tomorrow_
> 
> _[06/11/11, 12:43]_
> 
> _We need to keep an extra eye on Yu tomorrow. He looked like he calmed down a little, but I’m still a little worried. If he’s going to rush and be reckless tomorrow, we need to be one step ahead of him to stop him._

The reply, once again, took less than a minute.

> _To: Hanamura Yosuke_
> 
> _From: Kujikawa Rise_
> 
> _Subject: Re: About tomorrow_
> 
> _[06/11/11, 12:44]_
> 
> _Naoto said the same thing. Don’t worry. I’ll get Himiko to keep a running scan on Yu-senpai, so I’ll be able to tell if he’s going to do something crazy._
> 
> _You should get some sleep too, Yosuke-senpai. Tomorrow will be a long day._

> _To: Kujikawa Rise_
> 
> _From: Hanamura Yosuke_
> 
> _Subject: About tomorrow_
> 
> _[06/11/11, 12:45]_
> 
> _Thanks, Rise. Gd night._


	11. The Problem with Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narukami Yu grew up to dislike his name.  
> This is a huge problem for his soulmate.

His parents were by no means world-famous, but still rather famous in certain circles. And after a few rounds of _“Oh, you’re Doctor Narukami’s son? You must be very smart!”_ and _“Oh, Narukami-kun, your parents must be so proud of you.”_ , he was almost sick of his own name.

His opportunity for a new, albeit short, start came when, instead of bringing him to whatever city they’re moving to this time, his parents had decided to let him live with his uncle in a small rural town called Inaba.

He’d jumped at the opportunity.

Three weeks later, he arrived in that very town and, after suffering through a very sudden headache and brief fever, he safely arrived at his new school for the year. When he introduced himself, there had been no problems with the teacher; he had requested permission for his plan from his parents ever since he knew he was coming to this town. After explaining his reasons, his parents had agreed, and even called up his uncle and the school to pre-arrange it.

_“My name is Seta Souji. Nice to meet you.”_

* * *

The next few months went in a blur.

He’d somehow been drawn into a rather bizarre situation, but couldn't step away from. He’d gotten a Persona, and awakened his power of the Wild Card. His friends had gotten Personas too, and they had sworn to solve the serial kidnapping-and-killings together as a team, because it was personal for them. They had gathered their strength and determination, diving into the strange world of the TV again and again to save people who’d shown up on the Midnight Channel.

While they were no closer to solving the murders, at least they had managed to save everyone so far. No only that, they were also getting closer, both as friends and teammates.

It delighted and terrified him at the same time.

He knew he was leaving at the end of the year, no matter what. There was no way his parents would agree to let him finish high school in Yasogami High. What would happen to them, to their friendship, when that time came? Distant-friendship never worked out, that’s why he’d learned to never get close to anyone in all the schools he’d enrolled in. But with them—the self-dubbed _‘Investigation Team’_ —he hadn't been able to steel his heart.

The fact that he’d found his soulmate here really didn't help his ongoing dilemma. He’d tried prodding the subject with said soulmate.

_“Not that I don't believe in soulmate, because I have a name on me, but… there’s no way she’d be here in this small town. And besides, right now, I just want to solve this case, for the victims’ sake.”_

Well. His soulmate had given no less three indication about their potential relationship, so he’d nodded and never brought it up again.

* * *

Then, a few months later, a threatening letter came, addressed to one _‘Narukami Yu’_.

* * *

He’d shown the letter to the team, of course, and while most of them had dived straight into the contents, the latest member of their team and questioned its intended recipient. Distracted by the contents and what it meant for them, he’d thoughtlessly replied that that was his real name, and then, all conversation stopped.

_“What do you mean that’s your real name?!”_

_“Souji is not your real name?”_

The influx of curiosity, hurt and slight betrayal snapped him out of his thoughts. He’d been considering about revealing his real name to them, of course—they _earned_ and _deserved_ it—but this was definitely not the way to go. There was no taking it back now, though, so he’d put the letter aside temporarily, bowed in apology and explained his reasons—that his parents were considerably famous in the academic circles, and he was tired to being tied to his family name—and the team relaxed then, taking it in stride.

They’d gone back to the letter, but there was nothing much they could do about it, but to wait for the killer’s next move. They split up then, and only one of them remained on the rooftop with him.

“Where.”

“…Sorry?” He blinked, genuinely confused.

“Your tattoo. Where is it?”

“My soul— oh.” (He remembered then; the other reason why he’d been holding off on the issue of his name.) “Collarbone..”

“Show me.”

Keeping his face even, he reached up to undo the first button, then pulled his shirt collar to the side. There, on the his left side, sat a name inked in a messy scrawl.

_‘Hanamura Yosuke’_

“…why the hell didn't you say anything?!”

Yu frowned. “You said you wanted to focus on the case. Plus, you aren't interested in—“

“ _I didn't know your real name, you idiot._ ”

“…Oh.” Yu blinked. “Oh.”

Yosuke sighed deeply, then began to unbutton his school jacket. He then pulled up his T-shirt and gestured for Yu to look at the name printed on his right hip.

_‘Narukami Yu’_

“So… We’re…” Yu glanced at Yosuke.

“Soulmates? Yes.” Yosuke nodded. “Well… There are a lot of things we should talk about, right? About this— err, us?” It was Yu’s turn to nodded. “Come on. I’ll treat you to steak at Junes for real this time. We can talk there.”

* * *

Despite Yu’s imminent departure, they’d decided to give going out a try, though they had kept it from the team.

They were successful for less than a month.


	12. Reverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There is a rift in your relationship… The Social Link has broken! There is a widening distance between you…”

When he woke up, it was with a violent shudder, with his lungs heaving for air, with his body shaking with fear and with his heart feeling as though it had been brutally ripped from his chest, still beating and bloody.

It wasn't the first time he has had such a dream.

When he first came to the rural town, when he first made a _connection_ … that was the first time such a dream had appeared. Since it was his very first connection in this town, the dream had been mild at worst, and he merely woke up in cold sweat soon after.

Then, days passed, and he made more and more connections, yet strangely, the ‘dream’ did not return. He knew better to think of it as _‘luck’_ , and instead, correctly chalked it up to him being too exhausted every night to properly dream. After all, forming said connections involved actually socialising, and most of these connections didn't come from simply talking, but with actions of some kind. All the socializing aside, there was also the matter of keeping up his grades, his hobbies, and not to mention the whole ‘nother can of worms that was the TV world and Personas.

It came to him as no surprise, of course, that his nightmare returned shortly after they had caught Kubo Mitsuo and handed him over to the police.

_‘The case is over…’_

_‘What does this mean for us?’_

_‘What does this mean for me…?’_

He’d already lost count of the number of times he woke up to the sound of his heart _shattering_ in his ears and mind before Naoto Shirogane showed up on the Midnight Channel, clear as day.

 _(He has never hated himself so much for the frankly_ disgusting _feeling of relief that had bloomed along concern for the detective.)_

With the rescue of Naoto came the startling realisation that the case was, in fact, not over—

_(And the sickening feeling of relief shot right back, twofold.)_

—before it all went to hell in a handbasket a month later, when Nanako… Sweet, _innocent_ Nanako was kidnapped and taken into the TV world, while his uncle landed in the hospital within the same hour, trying to save her.

Despair tore at him, tearing all his rationale to shreds. He’d never lost his composure this much before; calm and stoic was his personality, his mask as the perfect child. Yet right now, it was taking the combined efforts of Yosuke, Teddie _and_ Kanji to stop him from flying into the TV _right now_ to save Nanako, despite him knowing and understanding that they should all head back home and have a good sleep in order to be at their best.

It took him much, _much_ longer than he should to calm down enough to acknowledge that.

He had expected the nightmare that night.

He just didn't expect how bad it would be.

 

_They were so close._

_She was right in front of them, held in Namatame’s grasp._

_They had Namatame cornered; just one more hit and he would be down, and Nanako would be safe._

_“Uriel!”_

_The Justice Arcana shimmered into existence before him, and he raised a hand to summon the Persona—_

“Big… Bro…”

_—and the card stopped its spin, fading from blue to grey, before shattering before his eyes. The pain piercing at his heart was overwhelming and he fell to his knees, sword clattering to the ground beside him._

_“Daiso—“_

_Another card appeared, faded, then shattered. There were calls of his name now, but his ears were ringing too much for him to properly hear. He brought up a shaking hand, attempting to summon another Persona, but it was no use. One by one, his Social Links broke, leaving him gasping and howling in pain._

_Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower, Jester…_

> > There is a rift in your relationship…

_Aeon, Empress, Strength, Sun, Moon, Hanged Man, Hermit…_

> > The Social Link has been broken!

_Magician, Priestess, Chariot, Emperor, Star, Lovers, Fortune…_

> > There is a widening distance between you…

_…Fool._

 

Grey eyes snapped wide open, and he screamed.


	13. Just a feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She had a bad feeling about the rain."

She frowned as she looked out the window. Dark clouds were filling the sky that was bright just a half hour earlier. It looked as if a storm was coming.

And on a day she didn’t have an umbrella. Of course.

The weather man had claimed it would be clear all day. She had a feeling that something was coming that afternoon, but she had listened to her mother instead when she was told she wouldn’t need it.

Eyes, a deep shade of brown, slide shut as a sigh escaped. Grateful she had some time before her next class, she laid her head on her arms and hummed to herself as those around her spoke.

She had a bad feeling about the rain.

* * *

 "Hey, Yukiko!”

She glanced over her shoulder, a single dark strip of black hair falling out of its bun and into her eyes as she pretended to sigh and turned to continue walking.

“Yukiko, wait up!”

She didn’t stop, or even slow down, as the sound of someone running to catch up reached her ears. A hand reached out and grabbed her left hand as she started to head into the building in front of her.

“Can I help you, Chie? My class starts in five minutes, and it takes four to get to the other end of the building,” she stated with another glance over her shoulder.

The girl holding onto her just grinned. A hand reached up to push milk-chocolate brown bangs out of eyes that were as warm in color as said bangs. Her styled bob swung behind her as she shook her head.

“Can’t I walk with a friend?”

She couldn’t resist the slight smile that crossed her face. “Since when are we friends?” she teased, swinging their connected hands.

“Since I decided we were in second grade,” Chie remarked without pause. The slightly taller girl held on to her hand tighter and started off in the direction she knew Yukiko’s class to be in.

Yukiko allowed the fond smile to grow as she was pulled along. Chie was talking about what they should do when they both got out, since Mondays were the day they had agreed not to schedule anything after one.  While they were vastly different, they really had bonded when they were young and nothing had managed to break that bond over the years. Every that had happened in high school, everything with their Personas and their team, their _family_ , had tied them together in a way that could never be broken. Yukiko was remarkably glad for this. She really couldn’t imagine her life without the other girl.

“…and so I told him that I’d be there, but only if my dearest friend could come, because we had plans every Monday. It was kind of cute, the smile he gave me when he said that was fine and that he’d invite a friend to. You’re not angry, are you? I know you don’t like dating random strangers, but it’s not really a date? I wasn’t setting you up this time, promise. And it’ll be at your favorite café!” Chie pulled to a stop in front of the room where Yukiko’s next class would be held and looked at her with pleading eyes and a pout.

The raven haired girl didn’t even stop to think about it. “That’s fine, as long as you buy me a hot chocolate.” She knew rare it was for Chie to actually accept a date from anyone, how long the other girl had been crushing on this boy, and would do anything to make her friend smile. Chie had standards and refused to lower them for anyone, and Yukiko couldn’t deny her the chance to see how well this boy met them.

Chie gave a little squeal before hugging the younger of the two. “Thank you so much!! I’ll get you a slice of the pound cake you love, while we’re at it.” With a nuzzle, the girl stepped back and grinned before waving and heading towards her own class.

Yukiko giggled lightly before shaking her head and moving into the class room, ignoring the feeling that something was about to change.

* * *

_It had been raining, the day they meet. One girl was sitting with a puppy, lonely and near in tears. The other happened to be passing by and couldn’t leave the situation be._

_It didn’t take much._

_A simple question, a few funny faces, and a crystal clear giggle._

_That was when their bond first formed._

_“I’m Chie. What’s your name?”_

_“Hi there. I’m Yukiko.”_

_“Okay. We’re friends now! Same goes for you, big guy.” A hand reached out to pet the pup, a smile lighting her face for the other girl._

_She had a good feeling about this person._

* * *

  _Yukiko shook her head at the sight before her. “Chie… How did you even…?”_

_“I don’t know!!” the other girl wailed._

_She had been gone for ten minutes. Just long enough to head inside and get some snacks. And yet in that time frame Chie had managed to find a way near the top of the tree with no clear way back down._

_She couldn’t help it. A giggle escaped, then another one, quickly turning into full-on laughter as she doubled over._

_“It’s not funny!!” Chie cried from the tree as she held onto the trunk as tightly as possible._

_It took Yukiko five minutes to stop laughing and get help, and even then the giggles continued. Chie wouldn’t talk to her the rest of the day, but didn’t stray far all the same. She couldn't bring herself to feel guilty._

* * *

_"W-would you go out with me?”_

_Yukiko froze. While it was becoming more and more of a common trend, it still threw her off to have that question asked. Not wishing to be rude, she smiled politely. “I’m sorry, but I’m not really interested. Thank you , though.”_

_The blushing boy bowed his head at the words, taking a step back before his friend jumped in. “Aw, come on, Yukiko, just give him one date. Then you’ll see how great of a guy he really is!”_

_She fidgeted, nervous with the turn the situation was taking. Before she could say anything else, though, another voice jumped in._

_“Hey! Leave Yukiko alone! Can’t you see how uncomfortable you’re making her? Back off, Shinji.”_

_She sighed, smiling with relief as the two males looked over to the source before muttering apologizes and walking away._

_“I’m sorry for troubling you, Chie. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it.”_

_The girl before her huffed as she walked the distance from the door to their seats. “It’s alright, Yukiko. It’s not like it’s your fault. And it’s not fair to expect you to just suck it up and deal with it. Those two have no right to corner you like that.”_

_The feeling hit suddenly, as she smiled at her friend. Chie really was just like a prince sometimes, coming to the fair maiden’s rescue…_

* * *

 " _Diarama!”_

_The spell tore from a ravaged throat, healing the fallen teen across the battle field._

_Suddenly, a flash of lightning hit the field and in that moment the enemy vanished. Yukiko managed a smile before a wave  of dizziness washed over her, black spots appearing in her vision as her legs started to give out from under her._

_“Yukiko!!” The sound reached her ears, the feeling of strong arms catching her registering before the voice did._

_“C-chie…” She released a sigh, leaning into the other girl as the rest of the team gathered around her. Someone muttered a spell, the cooling sensation reliving her throat as the dizziness receded. She didn’t try to stand right away though, staying in the arms of her best friend._

_“Geez, Yukiko, way to overwork yourself!” The dark haired girl didn’t respond as the two were pulled to their feet. It wasn’t until it was clear everyone was alright and they started moving towards the exit that she tugged on the other girl’s hand and stopped for a moment. When warm brown eyes met her own, a smile crossed her face._

_“It’s okay, Chie. I had a feeling you would catch me.”_

* * *

  _“Do you believe in soul mates?”_

_She paused in her reading, dark eyes closing briefly before glancing down to meet warm brown. “What?”_

_“Do you believe in soul mates? You know, two people who are just meant to be together.”_

_Yukiko made a face as she thought about it. “I don’t know. Maybe? I mean, we go into a TV world and fight using magic and Personas on a regular basis. I’m not really one to say. Why? Where is that coming from?”_

_A hand played with a strand of brown hair as the girl lying down hummed. “I don’t know. I was just thinking about it for some reason.”_

_Yukiko smiled and  sighed before going back to her book. “I suppose it’s possible,” she said as she tried to find her place._

_Five minutes later, Chie tugged on the bottom of her shirt. “Yes?” she asked without looking._

_“I think we might be soul mates.”_

_That made Yukiko freeze. “Wait, what?”_

_“Well, not romantically. If past lives are real, maybe it was that way in one of those. I’ve never thought of you like that in this one, though. But… I don’t know. From the moment I met you, I knew you would be special to me. Think about it. We have next to nothing in common, and yet we’re always together. I don’t feel quite right when you’re too far away. And, you know how we know things about each other without being told? Or how we know things even the other didn’t know? And… Eh. The word just feels right. Don’t you think so?”_

_She opened her mouth the respond before pausing. There was something…_

_She closed her mouth and thought about it. Chie was right. She didn’t feel right when the girl was too far, like the time she had left on vacation and had to leave Chie behind for a week. Never had romance crossed her mind. After all, she had her fair share of crushes herself. But…_

_“I… I think… You might be onto something…” she said._

_Chie sat up and grinned. “Right?”_

_They looked at each other for a few minutes, before suddenly breaking into laughter and leaning into each other as they tried to catch their breaths._

_‘Soul mates, huh? I can believe it.’ She thought to herself. It just felt right._

* * *

 A sigh escaped pale lips as dark eyes stared into the rain that was pouring from the sky. Chie had said they would just meet at the café, since she got out earlier. Yukiko had agreed, and now she was stuck without a plan on how to get there without getting soaked. She wouldn’t cancel, couldn’t do that to her dear friend.

So, pushing back a few strands already damp hair, she set off. It wouldn’t take more than ten minutes to get there, so at least that was a plus. 

Seven minutes later, Yukiko was standing across the street from the meeting place waiting for the light to change. Chie and the two boys she had been talking about had a seat by the window and had waved when they saw her. Her friend frowned when she noticed the lack of umbrella and stood to move towards the door.

She smiled at the look Chie had when she emerged from the door to wait under the café’s overhead. Yukiko found it slightly funny, seeing her friend with the look of exasperation she so normally wore herself when Chie acted without care for her health. Normally she was the more reasonable of the two. Feeling slightly cheeky, she gave a little wave as she grinned.

The light changed, the walk signal flashing white as a sign to cross. Feeling the chill of the wind, Yukiko stepped off the curve towards her waiting friend.

The look on Chie’s face morphed from annoyance to horror.

She heard screeching tires on wet pavement, the look in warm brown eyes burning into her own, before a mix of pain and numbness engulfed her.

 _Was I… What…?  Maybe this Monday’s plans will have to wait_ , she thought in the haze.

_This rain is awfully cold. I hope there’s no fog tonight._

She had a bad feeling about the rain.

And then the world went dark.


	14. A Piece of Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The first one was a dare."

The first one was a dare.

He almost didn’t go through with it, knew there would be nothing more than a few joking comments before the subject was dropped if he didn’t.

But he did.

The one who dared him in the first place sat silent as it took place, holding his right hand lightly as they waited. On the inside of his left forearm, near his wrist, the smiling artist chatted amicably as she engraved into his skin “The true self,” a frame of squared glasses sitting below it.

Chie brushed the bandage with her thumb before hugging him tightly and turning to pay.

 

* * *

 

The second one was a mistake.

He didn’t regret it, not really. The smiles he earned on sight made it worth it. The design itself was rather simplistic and cute, the colors bright on his upper left arm the days he wore tank shirts.

And if he was being honest with himself, though it was a rare occasion that he admitted it out loud, he rather liked it himself. It took quite a bit of effort on Yu’s part to get him to say it the first time, the self-satisfied smile aimed at him making him burn bright red over the mumbled words.

In hindsight, though, letting Kanji and Teddie talk him into getting a colored silhouette of the bear’s head permanently inked into his skin may not have been his brightest idea. They didn’t need their egos inflated any more than they already were.

 

* * *

 

The third one was for Saki.

As the years flew past, he remembered her fondly. Her bright smile, her warm eyes, her soft words. Everything that made her the girl he could have possibly grown to truly love was held close to his heart, the memories kept safe.

Naoki had slowly become a good friend, both of them open to reminisce when the other needed to talk about the girl they had both held dearly in their hearts. He was the one whose opinions lead to the decision to get it done.

Together they walked into the shop, his familiar artist waiting with a gentle smile as she prepared to place a single feather the color of the siblings’ hair right above his right clavicle alongside the words “May her wings take her ever higher.”

 

* * *

 

The fourth and fifth ones were for himself.

They were completely silly, important to him and no one else. A video game reference that made his friends smile and roll their eyes, and the symbol of his favorite band, found during a dark time at university that carried him through some hard nights.

Rise couldn’t help but poke fun at the fact that she was supposed to be his favorite, a teasing smirk as she poked at the symbol on his right upper arm. She whispered to him later how she felt the same, and they talked a while on their favorite songs by them, which style fit best and what similar groups the other should look up.

Naoto was confused at the mark on his lower right leg, admitting as much before being pulled into a night long gaming spree. He wasn’t the least be surprised at seeing how competitive she turned out to be over it, and was pleased to find something else to bond with her over as they talked of strategies and storylines late into the midnight hours before falling asleep on the couch together as the sun peaked through the curtains.

 

* * *

 

 The sixth was a memory.

It had been his grandmother’s favorite, his mother told him with tears in her eyes as she gazed as the detailed hydrangea set that started at above his left ankle and wrapped around up to his knee, the colors blending together softly to make a gradient bush. His father smiled, surprised he had remembered the plants that used to sit outside her house in such a variety of shades and pleased to see her love lived on in him.

The delight on Nanako’s face when she saw it, claiming they were her favorites too, made it impossible for him not to favor them a little himself.

 

* * *

 

 The seventh, eighth, and ninth were meaningless.

Pretty little things that were hidden in plain sight and were there just because.

A simple cherry blossom, a heart made of the thin lines a treble and bass clef, a tiny star.

Chosen for a reason, but holding no real weight.

Yukiko’s smile the day she sat next to him talking to his artist was just as pretty as the designs she had picked out.

 

* * *

 

The tenth was a promise.

He would continue looking forward, moving ahead, doing his best, and this was his promise to the world.

His promise to himself.

His promise to them.

“The bonds of people are the true power” right above his heart, a reminder he was never alone.

 

* * *

 

To say he was fond of many forms of art would be an understatement. Art was a form of expression, a way for both the artist and the admirer to share a piece of themselves with the world. If he was asked to choose his favorite, he would probably have to claim music to hold his heart. There was just so many kinds out there, some soothing and some harsh and all of it an amazing show of effort and a plead for the universe to see even just a tiny part of the person as a whole.

But there was something about the art a person could carry with them, the kind that was beautiful and forever lasting, that he had grown to adore.

He couldn’t wait to see what his next tattoo would be.


	15. Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She's like the sun."

She’s like the sun, he thinks to himself.

 

She’s like the sun in spring when she’s happy.

Warm, inviting, bright.

Welcoming all in her presence with kind words and brilliant smiles.

She can light up a crowd with a wave; can help anyone to feel refreshed after spending a few minutes with her.  She can open a heart like a blooming flower and show the beauty within.

 

She’s like the sun in summer when she’s angry.

Harsh, unforgiving and unbending in her path.

Burning those who dare to challenge her with no remorse.

Those who attack directly stand no chance; those who come prepared stand only vaguely better if they don’t give her the credit she deserves as an opponent. 

 

She’s like the sun in autumn when she’s unhappy.

Still warm, but more subdued, father away. Never completely gone, but just ever so slightly out of reach.

Her smiles are still there, reassuring and aiming to help, but distanced enough to feel impersonal as her upset settles.

 

She’s like the sun in winter when she’s pushed.

Bright but cold, not a trace of warmth to be found.

These are the days she’s been pushed and stretched so far the smiles are faked and her persona rumbles in her core. The days she once again wears a mask for the public, looking the same as always but feeling so very far away.

 

She’s like the sun in many ways. Always there, even when her light isn’t visible. A star so vibrant the whole world takes notice. So many possibilities existing thanks to her, pulling people together.

She’s like the sun, and he’s so glad he can make glasses, because without them he thinks he’d go blind in her presence.


	16. Two in the morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was almost two in the morning."

It was almost two in the morning.

It was almost two in the morning, and he didn’t know why he was still awake.

It was almost two in the morning, and he felt like he was about to break apart.

It was almost two in the morning, and while he didn’t particularly want to die, he couldn’t bring herself to care if he lived through the rest of the night.

It was almost two in the morning.

Brown eyes stared blankly at the laptop screen in front of him, blinking slowly as he attempted to process the words on the document he had pulled up. On his head sat a comfortable pair of headphones, a song in a language he couldn’t understand playing on repeat through the speakers as he attempted to type out something that made any sense. Dyed hair spilled across the pillows of his bedding as he wondered if it was worth it at all.

He didn’t think he could be classified as depressed. People who actively thought about a mental illness couldn’t actually have it, right? A catch 22, or at least that’s what a quick Google search and a peak at the questionable trustworthiness of a Wiki article seemed to claim. A lose-lose situation, where the player couldn’t win because the rules created a paradox. He couldn’t have depression because he actively wondered about it, yet he held so many of the symptoms it seemed impossible for that not to be the case.

A tired sigh escaped once he realized just how sidetracked he had been by his train of thought. But was it worth it? What determined worth? The world doesn’t care. The stars and the sun and the universe and even those beyond that, ancient things to whom a human life is less than a dust mote, what would any of it matter to them? They’ve been around much longer than he, and would be after he left.

The clock ticked ever closer to two in the morning.

But wasn’t time just a human construct? Other creatures of the Earth did not base their lives around such an incomprehensible concept. The sun rose, the moon rose, and that was the deciding factor. What was time to a creature that only needs the light of the stars to find its next meal? It did not stop the sun from setting and the moon from shining and the world from turning.

It struck two in the morning.

And he was so very tired.

Would anyone care? Would anyone notice?

He didn’t want to die. He wouldn’t go out of his way to change that.

But he wasn’t sure what it meant to live.

It was after two in the morning.

He closed the document he had been staring at, deciding the paper could wait a little longer. The laptop was shut down and set aside, headphones taken off and put on the table by the bed. 

It was after two in the morning, and he closed his eyes.

It was after two in the morning, and he drifted off to sleep.

It was after two in the morning, and a warm voice comforted in the wake of sleep, whispering for him to wait for the storm and all it would bring.

It was after two in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense. Late night rambles rarely do. Thanks for reading, and until the next update I hope you keep well.


	17. A-Ma(i)ze-ng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No-one ever noticed."

No-one ever noticed.

Why would they? He never gave them reason to, never did anything to notice. Most of the time it wasn’t even things that he did consciously.

Nothing large, nothing drastic.

It was just little things.

Snapping a rubber band that he sometimes wore on his wrist as he thought.

Scratching at his arms while speaking without a glance downwards.

Tugging on his hair when nervous with little more than the thought it might be time to dye it again.

Nothing major, nothing more than little quirks that could be waved away with a laugh and a sheepish smile.

_Where did that bruise come from?_

_“Oh, I must have run into a table cleaning the food court.”_

_Did a cat get you or something?_

_“Nah, there was a bug bite. Didn’t even realize I torn up the spot, you know how it is.”_

Gaining the power to use a Persona didn’t change anything, just added more to the absentminded list.

_Woah, what happened there?_

_“Ya know, wasn’t paying attention and it got me from the side. Didn’t want to waste a Dia on it.”_

_That looks pretty rough, you okay?_

_“Of course, dude! What can I say, Zio just hurts me a little more than Kanji. I’ll be good though.”_

So what if he sometimes pulled a little harder than necessary on the rubber band, or dug his nails in a little more as to leave marks, or yanked small hairs out?

So what if sometimes he took hits he didn’t need to, didn’t heal even though he was rested enough to be able to, hid mild wounds so he could get home without hassle.

It wasn’t like he ever did anything more than that.

Even when the thoughts were present.

Even though there was a craft knife in drawer in his desk.

Even when he knew that while the arms would draw attention, upper thighs were much easier to hide.

Some nights he gave it a lot of consideration. It wouldn’t be a difficult task, and it’s not like anyone would ever find out. His hobbies rotated often enough that no-one thought to ask why he had the knife. None of his shorts would ever uncover the upper sections of his legs. Just scratching enough to make a raised line would work, there would be no need to make a huge mess.

But he was always scared that one day it wouldn’t be enough. That one day someone might notice. That maybe…

And so he never did anything that would draw attention.

And so no-one ever noticed.

And Yosuke wanted to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been in a mood this past week.  
> You'll have to ask WaiiKitsune to explain the title, as I don't even know.  
> Keep well my dears.


	18. Shinitai-chan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Have you tried crossing over yet?_

When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t sure what had happened. 

She didn't know where she was, or how she got there. 

She couldn't recall her name. The faintest wisps of a dream circled in her mind for a few moments, but she couldn't grasp any of them and let them slip away.

Before her stood a person. She couldn't recall if she had met him, or if he was the cause for where they were.

All she knew that the boy in front of her could be trusted.

He named her. At first it was a confusing name, one she did not know and could not understand. 

Philei. 

_Beloved._

But that was alright, he was trying, for her. And she allowed it, and called herself "Rei" in his place.

She was happy, with this strange boy she had named Zen. They were at a school of some sort, during a festival event. And times were fun. They viewed attractions, and ate food, and wondered endlessly.

She knew something wasn't right, yet she was so scared to learn the truth.

He was waiting for something, and she was afraid to find out what. He never pushed the subject, so she never asked.

And times stayed forever the same.

_Until they came._

Time, as she knew it, started to change.

They wanted to leave.

They wanted to destroy the order of the world in which they found themselves.

They had started to invoke a difference around them. 

_And that scared her._

At first, it sounded fun. They could help, and then they could leave with their new friends! Everything would be alright if they could just make these new people happy. 

But something wasn't right.

It started with the first labyrinth, the first chest. 

It started with a bunch of people wearing the same outfits that they were. A group of close friends, people that loved and trust one another with their very lives.

It started with traveling through the maze of life, finding the "queen" at the end and meeting with another interesting collection of people.

_Did it start like that?_

It started with people in a strange uniform. They came in a group that didn't quite mesh, but held together all the same heading towards a common goal.

It started with traversing in relative silence and working to get to the end as quickly as possible, to start learning the truth.

It started with being helped by a bunch of cheery teenagers who were as lost as they were.

_Was that what happened?_

Things stopped making sense.

Things started to repeat.

_She didn't understand._

Zen wanted to help them.

He wanted her to see what was in the chests. He said it was important, that something good had to come of it, that it would allow them all to find a way to get back to where they belong.

_She didn't want that. Why couldn't he understand she didn't want that?_

Something was wrong. She didn't know how to fix it.

_She wanted to die._

Wait, what? She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She wanted to explore with Zen and all their new friends. She wanted to eat tasty new foods. She wanted to get out.

_She wished she didn't exist._

She didn't know what was happening anymore, only that opening the chests lead to nothing good. Maybe she could talk her new friends into stay with them. They could have lots of fun, and nothing would have to change.

_Wasn't it time to leave?_

No... No! She didn't want that! She only wanted to be happy! Why? Why was this happening? 

_Why couldn't she remember anything? Why was everything at the school?_

She wanted to leave.

She wanted to stay.

She wanted to understand.

Zen wasn't happy, and that was wrong.

She wasn't happy, and she didn't know how to correct it.

Their new friends weren't happy, and that wasn't fair.

_It wasn't enough. She had to remember. There was something wrong. Zen knew something was wrong. Why couldn't she remember?_

**_What was in the chests?_ **

She wouldn't let them leave her behind. She wanted to live. She wanted to know. She had to find out, and if this all tied to her then she owed everyone the chance to leave, to go home.

_And then she remembered._

She had wanted to die. She had wanted to disappear. She didn't know why she was born.

_It wasn't fair._

Zen told them the story. How she, a pitiful child left to rot in a hospital, died during an operation. How he, a GOD, had the mercy to grant her more time than she deserved to serve his curiosity.

She didn't know how she knew. She didn't know what was going on anymore. 

_She wanted to die._

She wanted to live. 

She didn't know anymore.

She couldn't die. She couldn't leave Zen behind. He had worked to give her the time to learn what her place in life had been.

_He was a god of time and death._

He named her "Beloved" and gave her more time after death.

_He locked up her memories._

He cared for her in a deeper way than a god was ever meant to care for a mortal.

_And so he fought, and they won._

The Velvet room wasn't meant for her. But it allowed her the pleasure of meeting its occupants. And that was enough.

She took his hand, and with one last smile, they ascended the stairway meant for her the whole time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I despise the last, like, third of this.  
> But I figured I'd go ahead and finally post this since I haven't changed anything about it.  
> Let me know your thoughts? Keep well, dears.


	19. Sometimes: Waking Up (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it was hard to get out of bed.

Sometimes it was hard to get out of bed.  

Just the thought of it was making him tired, the feeling weighing him down and making his bones feel like they were made of lead. Like gravity was pulling him down, down until he could no longer get up.

Sometimes his mind wouldn't stop thinking. 

His mind kept worrying about the future, about the endless number of things he needed to get done, about the responsibilities that were on his shoulders. All of the thoughts were spinning around in his head, making hard for him to focus on anything. An endless wave of pressure and stress that washed away any motivation or energy he had for the day.

Sometimes he woke up and he was alone. 

He glanced over to the empty side of the bed, blankets ruffled and pillow still indented as if someone was just there. There was a lingering warmth coming from the blankets and, with some effort, he reached out to grab the pillow and hugged it tight. 

Sometimes he was not alright. 

A tear slid down his face onto the pillow. He released a shuddering breath, feeling cold despite the blanket wrapped around him. The apartment was quiet, too quiet for his liking and the sun was just barely peeking through the curtains. He couldn’t have slept more than a few hours and his body was complaining about the lack of rest. 

His eyes slid shut as another tear trailed down the side of his face, allowing darkness to draw him into an uneasy sleep once more.

* * *

He woke to a warm presence next to him and a hand running through his hair. With some effort, he opened his eyes to stare into calm gray eyes. Yu was sitting where the bed was previously empty, smiling gently at Yosuke. Yu’s hand felt slightly cold to touch and he was no longer in his pajamas. Instead, Yu was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, prompting a slight head tilt from Yosuke.

“Hey. I noticed that we didn’t have any eggs and went to get some. Want to make some with me?” Yosuke couldn’t find the energy to respond, instead allowing his gaze to wander around the room. Sunlight was filtering through the blinds, providing the room with light and warmth. Yosuke’s jacket was draped on a chair across the room; Yu probably used it when he went to the market. “Yosuke?” There was a hint of concern skillfully hidden in Yu’s tone; Yosuke wouldn’t have picked it up if he hadn’t known Yu for so long. “Is it one of those days?” 

Yosuke flinched slightly, squeezing the pillow tightly as he looked down at the bedsheets to not meet Yu’s gaze. If he were to be completely honest, all he wanted was to be as carefree as the birds that fly by their window, to wake up every morning and feel ready to tackle the world,  to have energy to go through the day and experience life to the fullest. 

To not feel… ready to become one with the bed. Ready to never move again despite his stomach complaining of hunger and his arm asleep under him. 

Ready to disappear. 

He felt rather than saw Yu stand up and his heart sank slightly. But before his thoughts could drag him back down, there was a rustle beside him and the blankets shift. Yosuke raised his gaze and there was Yu, getting back under the covers and gently prying the pillow from his grasp before pulling him close. He instantly felt warm, safe, protected. 

Content.

“Better?”

Yosuke’s response was to close his eyes and curl up closer to the warmth. Yu’s presence was grounding  and helped to keep his thoughts at bay. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the energy coming back to him slowly.

Sometimes, it was alright to not be ok. 


End file.
